1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electronic devices, and more particularly to an all-in-one connectors having pins that are shared by multiple terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
A currently commercially available all-in-one card connector is compatible with the specifications of multiple memory cards, such as MS (Memory Stick), SM (Smart Media), MMC (Multi Media Card), SD (Secure Digital), etc. However, the memory cards respectively have different numbers and locations of the contacts, such that numerous sets of the terminal contacts must be mounted on the card connector to match the contacts of the multiple memory cards, wherein the number of the terminal contacts is equal to the total number of the contacts of the multiple memory cards. In other words, if the conventional all-in-one card connector is compatible with four kinds of memory cards, the number of the terminal contacts is equal to the total number of the contacts of the four memory cards, and the pins disposed at the bottom edge of the card connector, as known in the prior art, are connected to all terminal contacts one by one.
Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, a conventional four-in-one card connector 70 is comprised of forty pins 71, being the typical card connector, which pins 71 are connected to the terminal contacts 74 one by one, i.e. each kind of the memory cards corresponds to the predetermined numbers of the pins 74 and the terminal contacts 74, which are not overlapped or connected therebetween. However, if the specification of the fifth kind of the memory card is included in such kind of card connector 70, there will be fifty pins 71 for the requirement, thereby causing too many pins 71 of the card connector 70. Because a predetermined interval must be kept between each two pins, the card connector 70 cannot be reduced or may even be enlarged in size or width. Further, although decreasing the interval can reduce the width slightly, the overmuch small interval may render the difficulty for the production and the coplanarity of the pins 71.